Wrapped in Gold by hasu86

Wrapped in Gold

Disclaimer:  Inuyasha does not belong to me.

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Written for miwa03 for the Dokuga Holiday Exchange.   

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 Wrapped In Gold

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Kagome weaved her way through the crowded streets of Tokyo where holiday joy shimmered on red-cheeked faces and smiles curved lips touched by the sweetness of Christmas Eve. Wreaths with red ribbons decorated shop windows. Dreams and wishes wrapped in shiny paper and finished with green bows piled high in strong arms and hid in large fancy bags.

But she was too tired to linger in the sights, too exhausted to bask in the warmth of bright lights and loving words. After a hellish double shift at her aunt’s tea house, all she wanted to do was sleep.

Stumbling up the stairs of her apartment complex, she reached her door and struggled with the lock.

“Stupid, stupid thing…” she muttered.

Her neighbor’s door was thrown open then, and she mentally groaned.

“Kagome?” A wolfish grin spread across his roguishly good looks when he spotted her.

“Hey, Kouga.”

“Having trouble?”

The lock clicked and she quickly turned the knob. “Nope! Not at all!” Kagome took a step inside only to be stopped as he rushed to stall her. She couldn’t find it in herself to be rude.

“Any plans for Christmas?” He asked, coming closer.

“Not really. Maybe visiting the family.”

He smiled and if she didn’t know how annoyingly persistent he could be, her heart would’ve melted.

“Then come over tomorrow. I’m having a little get together with friends. We’d love to have you.”

Kagome forced a smile. He meant that rowdy bunch of testosterone driven males? Yeah, right.

“I’ll see if I can make it.” She almost felt bad when hope blossomed in his cobalt eyes.

“You doing anything now?”

“Sleep. I just pulled a double shift and I’m dead tired.”

“Oh. Well…I’ll see you later then.”

Kagome nodded, smiling. “If I don’t see you tomorrow Kouga, Merry Christmas.”

…

She pulled off her clothes, limbs feeling like jelly as she stepped into the steaming shower. After fourteen hours of running around, this felt like absolute heaven. Sighing in bliss, she shampooed her hair, scrubbed her body, and for a few minutes simply let the water wash away the day.

Until something shattered and Kagome nearly slipped and cracked her head open.

“What the…” She shut off the shower and clambered out, wrapping a towel around her. Without thinking she grabbed the toilet bowl brush and peeked out the bathroom door into her dark bedroom, only to realize her weapon of choice was pretty much useless. What the hell was she going do with it? Scrub the possible intruder to death?

But it was better than nothing. Kagome stepped into her bedroom, head turning every which way and ears straining for sound. A cold, wet shiver trailed down her spine as she tip-toed towards the light switch across the room. Frigid cold air swept across her bare skin and one glance to the left let her know it was one of the windows that had shattered.

Kami, was she getting robbed? Was there some psycho Christmas serial killer on the loose? Were those teenage delinquents across the street causing trouble again?

A shadow jumped and biting back a startled scream, Kagome flung the toilet scrubber and ran towards the light switch. But halfway there, she tripped over a stiletto and went crashing down in a flailing heap. Something warm and soft brushed against her face. Scrambling back, she blinked her wide blue eyes into focus, pushing long wet strands of black hair away from her face with trembling hands.

She sure as hell didn’t own anything warm and soft that breathed, or at least barely breathed. Inching closer while fixing the towel around her, she tried to make out what this questionable thing was and could only assume this was what had hurtled through the window. 

It was a pile of white fur, much too big to be a cat so it had to be a—

Its eyes suddenly opened and Kagome snapped back. It growled, baring its sharp canines as it struggled to stand on all fours.  A dog?  It was unsuccessful though as it wavered and wobbled before collapsing once again. She saw the dark stains however, on both its fur and her carpet and knew it couldn’t be anything but blood.

It growled again, but it sounded more like a painful whine. Injured and bleeding all over her carpet, it could scarcely keep its gold eyes open, but looked ready to tear out her throat should she make the slightest threatening movement.

What was she…Kagome already knew and hoped she didn’t get mauled to death because it had some awfully sharp claws.

Taking a strengthening breath, Kagome scooted over, keeping eye contact. “I’m not going to hurt you.” She whispered sincerely.  So please don’t bite me. For all she knew, the dog could be rabid. Oh goodness, this was probably a bad idea.  Maybe she should just call animal control or something, but then again...

Her resolve hardened as they danced in a battle of wills, both staring each other down, measuring one another with eyes unblinking, even though Kagome’s was starting to water. Kami, she really needed to blink! She finally gave in and almost shied away when it moved its head closer to her outstretched hand, another painful growl escaping its powerful jaws. But he didn’t rip her hand off, which was a good start.   

Everything’s going to be fine, Kagome. You’ve been a good, hardworking woman this year. Santa wouldn’t send you some evil rabid dog from hell for Christmas…right? She laughed to herself nervously, eyeing the canine with shifty blue eyes, trying not to think about the worst case scenario.     

It was injured and needed help. That’s all that mattered at the moment.

“Stay here and don’t move.” Right, as if you can, she thought. “I’ll be right back.”

Scrambling to her feet, Kagome ran to the kitchen to get the first aid kit and some extra towels just as a hard knock sounded at her door.

“Kagome? Kagome? You okay in there?” He banged harder and she rushed to answer it before he could break it down and come barreling in.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her. “You okay? I heard a loud crash.”

“Oh, I just accidentally…uh, knocked over a vase so you don’t have to worry!”

“You sure? I can help you—”

“I’m fine!” She assured. “I’m gonna go get some sleep now so, um, goodnight Kouga!”  Kagome shut the door in his face, turned the lock, and spun around, grabbing the pile of towels and what meager medical supplies she had.

Once in her bedroom, she threw on the dim lights and ran to the bathroom to fill a bowl with warm water before hurrying to the dog’s side. Its eyes were hooded and it was barely breathing and hell, she wasn’t a vet!

“Okay. So I really have no idea what I’m doing.” She confessed, throwing her drying hair into a messy bun. “But it can’t be too hard, right?”

The white dog didn’t respond. But really, what was she expecting? For it to suddenly start speaking? Shaking her head and taking a deep calming breath, Kagome wet a towel and set to work cleaning its many wounds, exhaustion forgotten in the wake of her unexpected guest.

…

It was one in the morning by the time she finished with everything. From covering the broken window to scrubbing the blood stains out of her carpet, Kagome was now running on absolute empty. But the dog, which she discovered had the softest fur ever, was recovering—at least she hoped so anyway.

Bone weary but freshly showered, she walked out of the bathroom and paused when she saw it or rather him—another thing she had discovered while playing doctor—in her bed. She was too tired to protest however, and blearily pulled on some underwear and a long t-shirt before crawling into bed.

“You better not drool all over my pillow…” murmured Kagome as she drifted off into a deep sleep.  And though it felt a little out of place to have an injured, unresponsive canine in her bed, it was kind of nice too.  Keeping warm certainly wouldn’t be a problem tonight.

…

As Christmas snow capped Tokyo’s rooftops, Sesshoumaru awoke, blinking away the last vestiges of sleep. Memories of last night’s ambush came rushing back, from the attack to the escape and crashing through a window after he’d changed into his demon form—albeit a smaller version of the original. Everything came together as he stretched his stiff muscles, including why he was currently lying in bed with a woman he did not know yet had helped save his life.

He turned on his side to face her, silver locks of hair falling over his shoulder like a shiny waterfall.  Only to discover she was buried under her comforter and that the gentle rise and fall of the mound beside him was the only indication she was there. Peeling away the blanket, his mouth curved in an amused smirk at the sight she made.  And she was the one who had told him not to drool? Reaching over, he closed her mouth, prompting her to snuggle deeper into the pillow.

She really was quite beautiful, Sesshoumaru thought as he trailed his fingers feather light down the curve of her jaw and across those tea rose lips. She swatted away his touch, brows furrowing in sleep as she turned away, unconsciously reaching for her comforter but grasping him instead. Her hand skimmed his torso and tight abdomen, patted his thigh and nearly brushed his manhood before grabbing the thin sheet which covered him and pulling.

When it didn’t budge, she tossed and turned again before finally cracking open her sleepy blue eyes.  Sesshoumaru propped himself up on an elbow just as her fingers reached over to pet him on the head.

“Mm…morning dogg—” Her eyes snapped wide open and she shot out of bed. But the sheets snagged around her legs and she tumbled to the ground with a muffled yelp.

Kagome emerged, a sleepy tousled mess and warily eyed the man in her bed.  Her mouth fell open and then closed, opened again and then closed with a gentle snap. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She wasn’t.

“What the hell?” She knew without a doubt that she hadn’t gone to bed this morning with a silver haired man.  “What did you do to the dog? And how did you get in here and who are you?”

An amused smile lifted his lips and if she wasn’t so confused she totally would’ve melted into a pile of goo at the damn sexy image he made.

“Have you forgotten about last night already?” He lazily stretched, lean body arching up, taut muscles stretching, and she tried to peel her eyes away. Really she did, but the sheet was riding lower and lower and she just couldn’t—

“I am in your debt.”

Her eyes flicked up. The momentary haze cleared long enough for her to remember who she was and where she was and that he certainly didn’t belong on her bed, no matter how good he looked on it.

“Wait, wait! I went to sleep with a dog this morning. Not you. Definitely not you.” Because she would’ve remembered doing anything with him. He was just too…too overwhelmingly male.  

“I am the dog, or rather inuyoukai to be exact.”

Kagome snorted. “No you’re not! You’re a…” But everything made sense the more she thought about it. His hair was the same color as its fur. And his eyes were the exact shade and as she leaned closer from her place on the ground to get a better look, his fingers were tipped with sharp claws and his ears were pointed. It seemed way too surreal, yet it would explain how he’d gotten into her room.

 “You really are the dog…” she whispered, too amazed and shocked and still incredulous. Had jiijii been right all along? Youkai… one was sitting right here, gazing at her as if everything was normal and he did this all the time.

And then Kagome perked up and before she could stop herself, climbed onto the bed again with bright blue eyes that swam with sudden concern.  She scanned his body for any reopened wounds. “You were injured last night.”

“I heal fast,” he imparted casually, “though you are more than welcomed to check for yourself.”  

“Right,” said Kagome before realizing what she just answered to. “Wha—wait, err, no. No.” She stuttered, cheeks turning cherry red as she avoided his laughing eyes. She was reminded that he was a dog demon and not a helpless regular dog that had just happened to crash land into her apartment on the third floor. 

This was not how she pictured Christmas morning at all.

Before she could backpedal and berate herself for even returning to the bed—damn her caring, impulsive nature—Sesshoumaru pounced. He had her pinned beneath him faster than she could blink.

“What is your name?” His voice was like the finest velvet and damn if it didn’t make her heart beat faster.

“Ka…Kagome.” She squirmed and realized too late it was a very bad idea considering their rather intimate positions.

Amused by her discomfort, Sesshoumaru prolonged his sweet torture, knowing his effect on her.  The flush in her cheeks. The way her breath quickened. The subtle change in her scent. She was such a tempting little thing. He loosened his hold, but still remained in between her silky smooth thighs and hovering very closely above her.

“I do not like to be in anyone’s debt, Kagome. So tell me what it is you desire from me.”

Debt? What debt? What in the world was he talking about? In the middle of her mind quest to find exactly what he meant by ‘debt’, Kagome stiffened when his hand trailed the outside of her thigh, disappearing underneath the large shirt she wore to caress her hip.

“Or perhaps, like all females,” Sesshoumaru dipped his head to place feather light kisses along her jaw, “you’d prefer something much more…gratifying.”

His fingers then brushed across her breast, gently squeezed the generous mound and teased her until a shaky moan escaped her mouth.

“Kagome…Kagome…” Sesshomaru murmured before descending hard and ravenous on her lips, driven by something more than just simple attraction. She was quite alluring in her own right, this slip of a woman who had patched him up without even knowing the true consequences of her actions.    

Mouths melding, Sesshoumaru worked her into a panting, sensual mess. He shifted his sculpted hips, pressing his rigid, aching erection against her soft skin. He was relentless in his sensual pursuit. Hands never left her body.  Threads of silver tickled her feverish skin. Devastating lips wreaked havoc on her senses.

Eyes half lidded, Kagome felt him slowly pull down the band of her underwear, stroke her damp, panty covered folds as their mouths parted for air. Heavy pants left her and—holy shit, what was she doing!

It felt like ice cold water had been splashed on her and with surprising strength, she pushed him away and shot up, scrambling to the end of the bed with great heaving breaths.

“You…”  Kagome narrowed her blue eyes, trying to look threatening and accusing. But really, coupled with her tousled midnight hair, flushed cheeks, and thoroughly kissed lips she looked like an angry little hellcat with barely any claws.

Sesshoumaru licked his lips, gold eyes hooded and swimming with a dark predatory desire that sent hot shivers down her spine. “Me?”   

Trying to calm her thumping heart and swooning soul, she glared daggers. “Yes, you! With your mesmerizing gold eyes and stupid hands and stop looking at me like that!” She snapped, afraid she was going to fall prey once again to his effortless, debonair charm. She avoided looking below his neck, trying not to think about that down there.  

Sesshoumaru smirked, drawing nearer only to be stopped when her arms formed a big ‘X’ in front of her.

“No! Stay over there!”

She really was an adorable little thing, amusing to the nth degree and completely oblivious to the fact that he had quite a nice view of her snowflake dotted underwear. And he had come so unbearably close to pulling them off too.

At least she showed no fear, which was rare in itself considering his kind were mere stories and didn’t exist in this world. Sesshoumaru found his curiosity about her couldn’t be so easily smothered—neither could his desire as evidenced by his still throbbing erection.

A lazy smile curled his lips. “Why resist?”

“Are you mad?” She hissed before following the direction of his gaze. She turned even redder when she realized what had drawn his attention. She yanked the hem of her shirt down and pulled the sheet over her legs. “I don’t know you! And I’m not some…some whore!”

“It is because I am inuyoukai then.”

He was completely absurd. “It has nothing to do with you being a dog demon! Well, maybe a little,” she confessed, “but hell, you’re not even supposed to be real. And why are we even having this conversation? I’m not having sex with you just because you feel indebted! I helped you because I wanted to or else you wouldn’t be here right now.”

There was a strange gleam in his eyes she couldn’t decipher. “For a human, you are quite interesting.”

Kagome wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad. Maybe both. “That’s nice,” she muttered, attempting to pull her wits together. 

Had Kagome known this was the outcome, she would’ve weighed her alternatives more. It was Christmas, for crying out loud! Was some peace and quiet too much to ask for? Did someone think it’d be funny to dump a devastatingly gorgeous inuyoukai on her doorstep? Merry Christmas Miss Higurashi, we hope you get laid this holiday season!  She wanted desperately to crawl into a dark hole and never come out.

Closely watching her and the myriad of emotions flying across those big beautiful eyes, it took great control not to simply haul her to him and pick apart her defenses, break down every one of her walls. Though judging from her icy glares and wary glances, she’d probably put up one hell of a fight if he did so.  She’d broken through the lusty haze he’d woven after all, and that was undoubtedly an admirable feat.  

But most of the time females were more than willing and deep down, his sex was all they wanted. All it took from him was some minor coaxing and they were his. Not that he minded of course. He was a carnal being. The pleasures of the flesh were just as much enjoyed as was ripping through a foe’s chest or severing a few limbs.     

Maybe that’s why she intrigued him. Her adamant refusal—his first ever since he could remember because nobody refused him—of his blatant offer only stoked the flames and the longer he was in her fiery presence, the more he wanted to devour her. And for him, he always got what he wanted.

But unfortunately, what he wanted would have to wait. 

Sesshoumaru sat up right before his annoying half brother materialized in the room.  

“What the hell happened to you?!”

Kagome jumped, jaw dropping and looking very much like a fish out of water. There were more of them? And how did he just appear out of nowhere? Oh yeah, right…demons. She had the strongest urge to bang her head against the headboard.

“Ambush,” replied Sesshoumaru as he caught the bundle of clothing.

Inuyasha snorted and then realized there was another person in the room. “Who’s that?”

Sesshoumaru tossed a look over his shoulder. “Kagome.” He stood, unabashed about his nudity and donned his clothing.

Kagome snapped her head to the right, attempting to erase the eyeful of sculpted butt, only to meet another set of gold eyes. When had he gotten so close?

“Err…nice to meet you?”

He smirked, reaching out to touch her. But his hand was slapped away.

“She is mine.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, backing off.  “Prick….” He muttered.

Sesshoumaru would strangle him later.

Having finally unfrozen herself from the stupor and crawling forward, Kagome asked almost hopefully, “You’re leaving?”  

A debonair smirk curved his lips, making her heart flutter and her breath speed up. Sesshoumaru bent down, taking her chin between forefinger and thumb.

He kissed her hard and breathless, with all the force of a possessive, virile male who hadn’t nearly gotten his fill of blind pleasure and completion.  When his tongue swept into her mouth she almost lost it again. If not for the other male’s loud grumbling Kagome knew she would’ve caved under his relentless pressure.

She tore her lips from his, but his firm hold on her chin kept her a breath away.

“My debt to you still stands,” he murmured, his tongue brushing across her bottom lip.

“R-Really, it’s okay. I don’t want repayment.” Kagome contested, wishing he’d just get the point and let the matter drop. “It’s perfectly fine and—”

He silenced her with another deep kiss and again, she shoved him away.

“Will you stop doing that?!” She hissed, glaring at the other demon when she heard his snickering. She couldn’t have known that Inuyasha was actually laughing at Sesshoumaru and his failure to seduce and quiet her.  

She was hauled to her feet then. His hand tangled in her tousled black hair and pulling back, he nipped her jaw line and scraped his teeth along the side of her throat—hard enough to remind her just what he was.

Their eyes met, a violent clash of gold and sapphire, of promise and scorching desire that left the air around them electrically charged.

“I’m afraid you cannot get rid of me that easily, Kagome.” His whisper caressed her like a long lost lover. “This is only the beginning.”

And then he let her go and she was falling onto the bed, unable to get the last word in, but catching his flicker of deep amusement. He must’ve really enjoyed unbalancing her, sending her world tumbling into blissful disarray. In the next moment they were gone and Kagome was left to muffle her frustrated scream with a pillow, legs kicking up and down. She didn’t even know his name!

After she’d calmed down some, Kagome took a deep breath, questioning her sanity and cursing whoever thought it’d be fun to do this to her.  And on Christmas no less! Why not give her a nice, cute puppy or even a cat? She liked cats.  

Grumbling to herself, Kagome pouted, still unable to get the feeling of his searing lips out of her mind. “Aosh!” She rubbed her cheeks, trying to stop the hot flush. But it was a lost cause and she soon gave up with an aggravated sigh.  

“Merry Christmas to me…” she mumbled, disgruntled and wishing very much that it had all been a dream. Whatever happened to visions of sugarplums dancing in her head? Sugarplums at least didn’t kiss her senseless or touch her so intimately.     

Sprawled across the bed with his spicy, masculine scent all over the sheets and her, Kagome once more smothered herself with the pillow, all hot and bothered and hoping she never saw him again.   

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